The board met Monday night to talk about its financial situation. With a shrinking budget, the board had to decide whether to lay off 72 principals and assistant principals. But the decision reached Monday night would likely not affect most of those administrators intended.

The board voted 5-2 to approve a proposal for “non-re-employment.”

“You dedicate 15 years and you find out we got to go through this nasty process of being not renewed,” Oyler School Principal Craig Hockenberry said.

Oyler is one school that has been recognized for academic improvement during the time that Hockenberry has been principal.

Some board members wanted to delay the vote but Superintendent Mary Ronan told them action had to be taken because of the state funding cuts that will leave a $50 million budget deficit for the upcoming school year.

After some discussion, the board voted to OK the superintendent’s recommendation for non-renewal for financial reasons.

But, Ronan said some of the cuts won’t actually be as bad as they sound. "You have to have options. This is just flexibility and we do have to have principals in our buildings,” Ronan said.

The district will offer administrators new contracts with lower pay, different hours or other changes.

“Hopefully it's not my curtain call. Hopefully it works out that way," Hockenberry said.

The affected administrators will be notified that they will be laid off as of Aug. 1.

Ronan warned that more cuts were coming for teachers and other school staff members.